Every week for Thursday throwback I look back in time at iconic pieces of jewellery or their makers, this week I'm looking at the House of Vever.
Founded by Pierre Vever in 1821, the business was one of the big powerhouses of its day in the jewellery industry.
Based in Metz, France, it shipped all over Northern Europe with high end customers in Luxembourg and the Rhine provinces of Germany.
Pierre handed over the company to his son, Jean Jacques Ernest, in 1848. Ernest was a skilled jeweller and had spent many years as an apprentice in both Hanau and Vienna.
With Ernest the company went to its first exhibition at the World Fair in Metz.
They kept their store in Metz until 1870, when the Franco-Prussian war ended and they moved to Paris. In Paris they opened up a new store called Rue de la Paix. It was here Ernest started to train his sons, Paul and Henri to take over the company.
Both sons where very accomplished, Henri in particular had studied at the L'Ecole de Arts Decoratifs and the Ecole Nationale de Beaux-Arts and finished an apprenticeship at Loguet Brothers and got an degree as a craftman. He also worked for Hallet where he first fine tuned his skills as a jewellery maker and stone setter.
By 1874, Ernest made his sons partners in the business with him. Paul would look after the administration while Henri worked on the artistic side. This turned out to be a great partner ship and for the first time the house of Vever took part in the Exposition Universalle in Paris. Ernest couldn't participate as he was a judge but his sons did him proud winning two of the Grand Prizes for gem set jewellery.
Ernest was appointed judge of the tribunal de commerce in the Seine region in 1875 and then president of the Jewellers and Goldsmiths Trade Association the next year, where he stayed until his retirement in 1881.
The house of Vever meanwhile was traveling the world exhibiting in Moscow, Chicago and Brussels.
The firms Art Nouveau jewellery still stands as the greatest accomplishment of the company.
As well as jewellery, Henri Vever has another great accomplishment in his own name. He wrote a book called French Jewellery of the Nineteenth Century. This book is still regarded as one of the best handbooks for jewellery experts, buyers, sellers, scholars and historians even though only a 1000 copies where ever made, which makes it extremely rare now.
In 1915 Paul Vever died and in 1921 Henri Vever handed over his shares in the business to Paul's sons Andre and Pierre. Unfortunately this next generation couldn't keep the reputation of the House of Vever going and by the time they where succeeded by Jean Vever, the grandson of Paul, the business was coming to an end.
The house of Vever closed its doors in 1982.
In 1915 Paul Vever died and in 1921 Henri Vever handed over his shares in the business to Paul's sons Andre and Pierre. Unfortunately this next generation couldn't keep the reputation of the House of Vever going and by the time they where succeeded by Jean Vever, the grandson of Paul, the business was coming to an end.
The house of Vever closed its doors in 1982.
Fashion Magpie Jewellery Blog is a celebration of antique and handcrafted jewellery, with regular featured items from my shop, antique jewellery showcase, interviews, reviews and tutorials.
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